Railway snow-plow.



No. 67l,623. Patented Apr. 9, I90l.

. A W. G. G088.

RAILWAY SNOW PLOW.

(Application filed Fab. 4, 1901. (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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' No. 67|,623. Patented Apr. 9, I901.

who. G088.

RAILWAY .snow PLOW.

(Application filed Feb. 4. 1901.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shoat 2.

WIT E5565: (j/l l \/EI-YTD No. 67l,,623. Patented Apr. 9, l90l.

W. C. G088. RAILWAY SNOW PLOW.

(Application med Feb. 4, 1901.)

3 Sheets- Sheet 3.

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UNITED] STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. GOSS, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAILWAY SNOW-PLOW.

'EPE-GIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,623, dated April 9, 1901. Application filed February 4:, 1901. Serial No. 45,873. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. Goss, a citizen of the United States, residingin Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Railway Snow- Plows, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of plows for removing snow and ice from the tracks of electric, cable, steam, or other railways in which the plow is self-propelling, being in itself a complete car or track-clearing contrivance independent of any car, in distinction from plows which are made a portion of or attached to a passenger-car.

The invention relates, moreover, to that class of track-clearers in which the snow is largely collected by and melted upon or within the clearing contrivance. The invention does not relate, however, to the means for propelling the car, but to the construction of the clearing contrivances at the opposite ends of said car in connection with the boiler and pumping mechanisms.

The nature of the invention is fully described in detail below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a selfpropelling snow-plow or track-clearing machine, the motive power in this instance being electricity, portions being represented as broken out in order to show the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section and elevation taken through the plow at one end of the car. Fig. 3 is a frontelevation of the same. Fig. at is a horizontal section taken on line X, Fig. 2, dotted lines showing the swinging gates or wings swung outward.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

a represents the floor, and b the trolley-pole, of an electric car provided atits opposite ends with track-clearers constructed in accordance with my improvement. Each of the trackclearers is secured to and hung from the car beneath the platform a and comprises a box or receptacle, preferably metallic and having the horizontal floor or bottom A, the vertical rear Wall E, and the vertical side walls 0. The side and rear walls extend up to the frame of the car-body, so as to make a closed connection therewith, and the side walls follow at their lower ends the shape of the bottom A. This bottom is formed upon a line parallel with and at a considerable distance in front of the rear wall B into a short vertical front wall A, and from the upper end of this front wall an extension or inclined floor A extends forward until its front edge is on a level with the main portion A of the floor. Thus a water-tight condensing chamber or receptacle is produced between the walls A and B, extending horizontally across the contrivance. The bottom of this chamber is provided on its under side with a trough E, Fig. 2, having one or more perforations E, and the wall A is suitably perforated above the trough and provided in said perforation with a stopple E. The front edges of the side walls 0 have hinged to them at C horizontally-swinging doors or wings F, each of which is provided with a series of eyes F on its outer surface, into which a front end of a hook G can catch, said hook having its rear end secured to a suitable eye G on the outer side of the wall 0. When the wings F are parallel, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 in full lines, they make straight cuts into the snow and conduct a body of snow equal in width to the receptacle up the inclined floor A" and into the condensing-chamber behind it. In case it is desired to conduct a broader body of snow into the receptacle or to smooth the snow on the opposite sides of the track the wings are swung out, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, and secured at the desired angles by the hooks G and eyes F.

The receptacle or condenser formed by the walls A, B, and O and the bottom A is furnished with banks of horizontal steam-pipes H, which are connected with banks of vertical steam-pipes H, which extend up along the side walls 0, and, in fact, there may be any desired arrangement of banks of steam-pipes within the receptacle or condenser formed by the bottom A and walls B C.

I representsa boiler mounted substantially centrally in the car.

J is a tank supported by the car-body, and K K are pumps similarly supported.

L represents a steam-pipe extending from the boiler down into the receptacle or condenser and connecting with the banks of pipe therein, whereby steam is fed from the boiler into said banks orco'ils of pipe. Branch pipes N and N extend,-respectively, from the pipe L to the pumps K and K and operate said pumps.

P is the return-pipe,extending from the coils in the condensingchamber to the pu mp'K. A pipe R connects the pump K with the tank J. A pipe R connects the tank with the pump K, and a pipe S connects the pump K with the boiler I. The various pipes are provided with suitable valves. The steam which has been forced into thebanks of pipe in the condensing chamber or receptacle is returned to the boiler through the pipe P, pump K, pipe R, tank J, pipe-R, pump K, and pipe S. The

pumps K andK are driven, respectively, by

steam fi'omthe boiler through the pipes N and N. A two-way cock T is provided at the junction of the pipe P with-a pipe U, which extends from said pipe P to and opens into the condensing-chamber which receives the snow.

The snow is melted by the coilsor banks of pipe H, the steam being circulated through them in the manner above described. When sufiicientwater has collected in the condensing-chamber, the cock T may be turned, so as to-close the pipe P andopen the pipe U,

thus allowing the pumps to remove the water a'nd'convey it through the pipes U and P, pump K and pipe R to the tank J, whence it may be conveyed through the pipe R, punip K, andpipe S back to the boiler; The feedpipe L has connected with it a'feed-pjipeL', which conveys steam to the coils in the trackclearer at the other end of'the car, and the return-pipe P has connected with it a pipeP, which acts as areturn from the clearer at the other end of the'car.

Any mud or sediment which may have collected in'the condenser can be removed by lifting outthe plug E and allowingit to drop into the trough Eand out through the hole E.

Having thus fully described my invention, what'Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1; In a railway snow-plowor track-clearing co'n'trivance'ot' the character described, the receptacle or condenser consisting of the rear wall B, side walls C, and bottom A, said bot- ,in the condensing-chamber; and pumps con- 'neetedwith the pipes L, P, substantially as described.

2. In-arailway snow-plow or track-clearing contrivance of the character described, the receptacle or condenser consisting of the rear Wall B, side wallsO, and bottom A; a bank or coil of steam-pipe in the condensing-chamber; a boiler mounted on the car; the steam-feeding pipe L connecting the boiler and the pipe in the condensing-chamber; the return-pipe P; the tank T and pumps K, K mounted on the car; the pipes N, N connecting the feedpipe L with the pumps K andK respectively; the pipes R, R connecting the tank with the pumps K and Krespectively; the pipe S connecting the pump K with the boiler; the pipe U connecting the pipe P with the interior of the condensing-chain her; and a suitable cock at the junction of said pipes P and U, substantially as set forth.

3. In a railway snow-plow or track-clearing contri'vance-of the character described, the receptacle or condenser consisting of the rear wall B, side walls 0, and bottom A, said bot tom being formed with the short Vertical front wall A and forwardly-extendinginclined floor A; a bank or coil of steam-pipe in the condenser; a boiler mounted on the car; steampipes L, Pconnectingtheboilerwith thepipes in the condensing-chamber; the outwardlyswinging gates or wings F hinged to swing horizontally from the front edges ofthe' side walls C; eyes F on the outer surfaces of the gates; and hooks G swinging from the side walls and adapted to engage with the eyes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name'to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM C. GOSS.

Witnesses:

HENRY W. WILLIAMS, A. N. BoNNEY. 

